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{
    "id": 234183,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/234183/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 263,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Dr. Shaban",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 139,
        "legal_name": "Naomi Namsi Shaban",
        "slug": "naomi-shaban"
    },
    "content": "Thank you, Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir. I want to add my voice by saying that this country requires a tobacco regulatory body, so that certain issues are looked into. It is important for us, as Kenyans, to have our home-grown law which will regulate the tobacco industry. I know it is easy for hon. Members to say that we have been left behind in regulating tobacco use by other countries. However, when we look at the percentage of smokers in our country, they are actually very few. This is simply because when we were growing up we were told that smoking was a bad habit. We grew up knowing that. Since we have put so much emphasis on the issue of smoking, most of our children do not smoke. Studies have shown that all over the world where this regulation has been enacted, the number of smokers has increased because everyone's curiosity is focused on the smoking habits. It is important for us to look at our own country and decide what is good for us and we move on. November 16, 2006 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES 3771 Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, issues affecting tobacco farmers have not been addressed adequately. Tobacco farmers have been left poor over the years. I want to see a situation where farmers make maximum profits out of the tobacco that they grow. So far, there are no regulations with regard to the structures that farmers use to dry tobacco leaves. We need the law to stipulate how those structures are supposed to be constructed so that when the tobacco leaves are being dried, smoke does not cause harm to the health of farmers. Also, I would want to see, in place, a law that is meant to protect the farmer. We must assist farmers to make maximum profits out of growing of tobacco. Considering the fact that big companies are owned by foreigners, and as much as we want to regulate the use of tobacco products, we want to see a situation where much of the profits that are made by the big companies are ploughed back to the country. This can be done through initiation of projects in this country by those multinationals. If that is not done, we will continue to see companies declare huge profits, but taking away every cent to their mother countries."
}